The Fugitive Generation (xx)

EXT. BROADWAY and 114TH STREET--DAY

Student demonstrators march north on Broadway, in a festive way, led by a group of women students. They laugh in-between chanting.

DEMONSTRATORS: One,two, three, four! We don't want your fuckin' war!

EXT. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CAMPUS--DAY

Demonstrators march across Low Plaza and chant

DEMONSTRATORS: On strike! Shut it down! On strike! Shut it down!

Demonstrators march towards Hamilton Hall.

EXT. HAMILTON HALL--DAY

Maloney and Kelly stnad near front right door of Hamilton Hall, as demonstrators march by them, through the far left door. Maloney and Kelly examine the faces of the demonstrators as they walk into the building. After the end of the march haas entered Hamilton Hall, Maloney turns to Kelly.

MALONEY: I didn't spot any Weather Fugitives. Did you?

KELLY: No.

MALONEY: How about Greenberg?

KELLY: I didn't see Greenberg either. Should I get O'Connor to contact the neighbors of his parents again? And make sure Greenberg isn't visiting them now?

MALONEY: Yeah. Let's do that.

INT. JIM's ROOM--NIGHT

Rachel and Jim are both nude. Rachel smiles as she straddles Jim on his mattress and bombards Jim with passionate kisses.

INT. STUDENT UNIION BUILDING LOBBY--DAY

Jim purchases newspaper. He glances at front page.

C.U. FRONT PAGE OF "MICHIGAN DAILY" NEWSPAPER

Under a big headline, "3,000 PROTEST AIR WAR; ROTC BUILDING, LABS TRASHED; NATIONAL GUARD TEAR GASES PROTESTERS," there's a photograph of Jim from the back, speaking at the rally and pointing off-campus.

INT. STUDENT ACTIVITIES BUILDING LOUNGE--NIGHT

Marlene chairs meeting.

MARLENE: So I propose that we picket outside the building where the Regents are meeting Friday. And hand out leaflets which demand that the University of Michigan end all its Pentagon research permanently. And discontinue its ROTC program, finally.

Jim raises his hand.

MARLENE (CONT'D): Jim?

JIM: Look. We showed yesterday that we have three thousand sisters and brothers who want ROTC and war researach ended at the University of Michigan. And who want all weapons production ended in the city of Ann Arbor. I don't think we just have to picket outside the building where the Regents are holding their meeting. I think we should march inside the building and go upstairs to where they're meeting. And make our demands right in front of their meeting room.

A few students applaud.

MARLENE: I call myself...I support Jim's idea. Is there anybody who doesn't think we should march inside the building and upstairs to make our demands right in front of the Regents' meeting room?

No hands are raised.

MARLENE (CONT'D): Then let's pass around sign-up sheets for people who want to leaflet.

EXT. ADMINISTRATION BUILDING--DAY

Demonstrators have gathered in front of Administration building. Marlene leads demonstrators into building.

INT. HALLWAY--DAY

Demonstrators sit on the floor outside meeting room, while Marlene speaks.

MARLENE: President Flame has agreed to speak with us inside the meeting room in a few minutes. To explain what the Regents have decided.

INT. REGENTS MEETING ROOM--DAY

Demonstrators sit around table and on floor in Regents' meeting room. University of Michigan President Flame sits at head of table on other side.

PRESIDENT FLAME: The Regents have agreed to form a new committee to study whether the University of Michigan should now terminate its ROTC program and move all classified rresearch work that is being done for the Department of Defense to an off-campus location. That's all you can realistically expect them to do.

JIM: Why can't you just order the ROTC program and the war research labs to be shut down immediately?

PRESIDENT FLAME: I don't have the authority. And it's unrealistic to expect the Regents to agree to shut them down without a committee recommending that it be done.

JIM: That's bull-shit! And you know it's bull-shit! The University of Michigan still wants to receive juicy research contracts from the Pentagon. Even if the war in Indochina goes on forever. That's really why you want to keep the ROTC program going and the secret research labs open. Why don't you stop bull-shitting the University of Michigan student body?

PRESIDENT FLAME: I don't have to listen to anybody talk to me like that. This meeting is over.

Presdient Flame stands up and walks toward the meeting room door.

MARLENE: President Flame! The student government has been demanding that the ROTC program and the war research labs be shut down for the last 4 years! When are you going to start listening to us?

President Flame turns around just before he reaches the meeting room door.

PRESIDENT FLAME: You're lucky I don't suspend you for inciting people to destroy Unviersity of Michigan property, Marlene!

MARLENE: Try it. And you'll have a thousand students sitting in your office.

President Flame turns his back again on demonstrators. He leaves the room, amidst laughter.

JIM: Now I understand why Marlene is more popular at the University of Michigan than President Flame.

MARLENE: As you can see, the Regents and President Flame still don't want to meet the demands of People Against The Air War. That's why we have to keep demonstrating in Ann Arbor as long as the air war against the Indochines people is not ended completely.

Demonstrators file out of the Regents meeting room.

EXT. STUDENT UNION BUILDING--DAY

Marlene is standing next to Roger, 21, a tall red-haired guy with glasses. Jim walks by, notices them and stops.

JIM: Marlene!

MARLENE: Hi, Jim. You know Roger.

JIM: Yeah. I've seen you at the People Against The Air War meetings...Speaking of People Against The Air War, are there going to be anymore meetings? We haven't had one since the Regents meeting demo.

MARLENE: No. That was it for this term. Everybody has to study for finals now. Or finish their term papers.

JIM: And what about you?

MARLENE: I haven't done much schoolwork since we started People Against The Air War. Now I have three weeks to both catch up and write four term papers.

JIM: That's the problem with trying to be a student, when you really want to be an activist.

MARLENE: How about you, Jim? Are you going to go back to your music now?

JIM: I don't know. First I have to figure out how to earn some money to stay in Ann Arbor. My savings are getting real low and I have to find a job.

ROGER: Why don't you go to "Write-On"? They need people to ghostwrite papers.

JIM: That's a good idea. I think I will do that.

INT. WRITE-ON OFFICE--DAY

A mustached man, 25, with long hair in a headband, WRITE-ON SUPERVISOR, sits behind desk. Jim sits on opposite side of desk.

WRITE-ON SUPERVISOR: We exist to free undergrad students from being in academic straitjackets. But some of our best customers are professors who need research done for their books. And grad students, who need us to write their dissertations for them, also are frequent customers.

Write-On Supervisor hands Jim form.

WRITE-ON SUPERVISOR (CONT'D): This is the format in which each page of the paper should be typed. You get four dollars for each page you write. Special projects, like dissertation-writing and bibliographical work, will be paid accorting to an agreed-upon fee.

JIM: I think I can do it.

WRITE-ON SUPERVISOR: That's good. Since this is our busy season, I can give you three projects that are due by next week. A paper on Dryden. A paper on public school educational issues. And a paper on Shakespeare. I also have PhD dissertation project that pays one thousand dollars, which won't be due until early June.

JIM: I'll takea whatever work you can give me.

WRITE-ON SUPERVISOR: That's what we need.

Write-On Supervisor takes a few project order papers out of a folder. He hands them to Jim, who quickly looks project orders over. Jim stands and smiles.

JIM: See you next week!

Before the Write-On Supervisor has a chance to reply, the telephone on his desk has started to ring. At the same time he answers the telephone, four University of Michigan business school students walk into the office as Jim leaves office.

EXT. CAMPUS LAWN--DAY

Marlene is sitting alone on campus lawn across from library. She is taking notes from big textbook. On his way into the library, carrying a small knapsack, Jim notices Marlene, smiles and walks to where she is sitting. He is wearing a T-shirt and jeans, as is Marlene. Jim sits down next to Marlene.

JIM: Hi, Marlene!

Marlene looks up and puts down her book.

MARLENE: Jim!

Marlene puts her arm around Jim tenderly for a few seconds.

JIM: I haven't seen you in a few weeks. Where have you been?

MARLENE: Trying to avoid people so I don't flunk all my courses this term.

JIM: I miss talking with you.

MARLENE: I miss you,too, Jim. Did you end up finding some job?

JIM: I'm doing the ghostwriting for Write-On Research. That's why I'm going to the library now. I have to use the typewriter there to type up a paper that needs to be ready by tomorrow.

MARLENE: Do you like doing the ghostwriting?

JIM: It's better than doing office work or factory work. And it's easier to write a term paper when you're getting paid for it, than when you're just doing it to pass a course.

MARLENE: Are you able to live on what they pay you?

JIM: The last few days they seem to have less work. But I should get a thousand bucks by the middle of June, when I finish the dissertation they gave me to work on.

Marlene laughs.

MARLENE: Somebody's purchasing their dissertation?

JIM: Yeah. She needs to get a PhD in Educational Administration in order to get hired as a university administrator.

Marlene laughs.

MARLENE: I always wondered why university administrators don't seem to know anything.

Jim laughs.

JIM: How about going to a movie with me this weekend?

MARLENE: I'd like to. But I can't go out too much until I finish all this schoolwork. And I already promised Roger I'd go out with him this weekend.

JIM: Oh...Well, he seems like a nice guy.

MARLENE: Why don't you call me in a few weeks? I should have more free time by then.

JIM: O.K. I'll call you in a few weeks.

Jim suddenly give Marlene a quick kiss on the cheek and stands up.

JIM (CONT'D): Well, I guess I better start typing up that paper.

MARLENE: Nice seeing you again, Jim.